The planet Earth and its Solar System reside in the Milky Way galaxy, a spiral collection of a 100 to 400 billion stars. Yes, that’s billion, not million, and far more than a thousand or hundred. We can only see only a few thousand of stars in the night sky and only so much moreContinue reading “Make It Visible”
Category Archives: The Supply Chain Engineer
The Supply Chain Surrounds Every Product
The enterprise sells, its customers order, and the enterprise delivers. This constitutes the basic process of demand fulfilment. As the enterprise creates demand through marketing & sales, it fulfils it. The enterprise and the customer agree on the terms and conditions of the latter’s order. Delivery of the order should arrive at the right place,Continue reading “The Supply Chain Surrounds Every Product”
Arguing for Engineering
Engineers have been the go-to people to solve problems or implement pre-decided solutions. Engineers build edifices architects design, install equipment which executives prefer, and fix things that were creating problems no one else could solve. Engineers deal with the complicated technical stuff like designing rockets and constructing skyscrapers, repairing nuclear reactors, setting up oil drillingContinue reading “Arguing for Engineering”
The Supply Chain Problem Many Don’t See
The escalator at the shopping mall was out of order for four (4) weeks. The mall managers perhaps didn’t think it was a big deal. Mall customers could still walk down the broken escalator from the ground floor to the lower level or take a nearby elevator. Never mind that any elderly person or parentsContinue reading “The Supply Chain Problem Many Don’t See”
The Four Types of Supply Chain Relationships
How do you want your supply chain relationships to be like? Supply chain relationships consist of the connections between enterprises such as those between enterprises and their vendors, service providers, and customers. They also include the interactions between internal operating groups within enterprises, such as purchasing, inbound & outbound logistics, manufacturing, and planning. There areContinue reading “The Four Types of Supply Chain Relationships”
The First Step is Always the Hardest
“The journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step.” In building a supply chain, that single first step can be a doozy. When we construct a home or facility, the first thing we think we of doing is plan. Seek a site. Draft a layout. Determine our budget. Schedule the construction. But thatContinue reading “The First Step is Always the Hardest”
The Changing & Un-Changing Supply Chain
Since Keith Oliver and a Mr. Van ’t Hoff coined the phrase in the 1980s, supply chain management has evolved from an obscure middle-management responsibility to a high-echelon business priority. Supply chains had become hot topics in executive suites and business school lecture halls. At the same time, operations managers face endless enigmatic problems asContinue reading “The Changing & Un-Changing Supply Chain”
What’s the Big Deal About 300?
People celebrate milestones; I’m no exception. Birthdays, anniversaries, victories. We celebrate sentimental times and achievements. Sometimes, we play down some these things because whatever we’re celebrating doesn’t stand up to what others had done or had been awarded with. We compare notes; we look small; we decide not to make a big deal. I onceContinue reading “What’s the Big Deal About 300?”
Demand Fulfilment Means Keeping One’s Promises
The airport lounge no longer granted access via my platinum credit card. The credit card’s fine print did warn that perks may be withdrawn without notice. The bank dangled the lounge perk on top of other benefits. I took it and the bank succeeded in selling me the card. But I’m unhappy because I noContinue reading “Demand Fulfilment Means Keeping One’s Promises”
Knowing Your Inventory ABC’s
A business owner asked me: how can I manage my company’s inventories more efficiently? The business owner imported soap, luggage, and cell phones, in short: assorted merchandise. He shipped in and kept hundreds of items in inventory, in which he had trouble keeping track. Sometimes he had too many items in storage or had tooContinue reading “Knowing Your Inventory ABC’s”
Ellery's Essays 